The Choir...Sunday 11th December

[ardcarp]

Although billed as The Choral World in Dublin, the programme was something of a mish-mash; luckily so because we got to hear a complete performance of The Nightingale by Ugis Praulins, sung by The Danish National Vocal Ensemble. It was conducted by our very own Stephen Layton and the inimitable recorder player was Michala Petri. This is a remarkable work; contemporary without being either stupidly minimalist or hard on the ear. It has some amazing vocal textures, some humour, and not a few challenging technical difficulties...one of which is staying in tune for half an hour and thus remaining dead on pitch for entries of the recorder.

Befopre I knew SL was at the helm, I fell to wondering which choir in the UK could possibly perform such a piece with similar blend and clarity of texture. Well Polyphony, obviously; yet their usual fare tends to be less adventurous. The BBC Singers could no doubt sing all the notes, but it would sound totally different and IMO 'wrong'.

We rightly pride ourselves on our choral tradition, but somehow Denmark, with a totally different tradition, manages to produce voices which are, yes, professional, but no, not wobbly!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnw5

[DracoM]

Astonishing piece by Praulins. Unknown to me but riveting and brilliantly performed, with such crystal clear textures unclouded by striving-to-be-noticed, soloistic voices. Top blend, and of course stunning recorder stuff from Michala Petri too. Diction and rhythms were fantastic! In English, from a Danish choir, but simply immaculate.

AND all done with a dry but knowing and discreet sense of humour too.

One of the most exciting and unexpected pieces of choral music I have heard in years. Many thanks for the heads-up.

[Gabriel Jackson]

Astonishing piece by Praulins...One of the most exciting and unexpected pieces of choral music I have heard in years. Many thanks for the heads-up.

Ugis is a very good composer, with a very interesting past! Check out his Missa Rigensis, recorded by Stephen Layton & Trinity College Choir, and by the amazing Riga Dom Boys' Choir (for whom it was written). The rest of that Danish National Vocal Ensemble disc is very interesting too.

[ardcarp]

Thanks GJ, I will track down the Missa Brevis. Come on, spill the beans about the 'interesting past'.

[Gabriel Jackson]

There's bothing scandalous! He's had a varied and interesting career, that's all. He's the Trinity recording http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc...CDA67747&vw=dc

[decantor]

Ugis is a very good composer, with a very interesting past! Check out his Missa Rigensis, recorded by Stephen Layton & Trinity College Choir, and by the amazing Riga Dom Boys' Choir (for whom it was written). The rest of that Danish National Vocal Ensemble disc is very interesting too.

I was admittedly using the Dublin choirs as background music on Sunday evening, and so caught the Praulins' work through sheer serendipity: at that point I sat down and listened! It did provide a quite extraordinary half hour, for both the material and the performance.

I will echo (if I may!) GJ's recommendation of the same composer's Missa Rigensis. At the expense of my own college's choir, I personally favour the Riga Dom Boys' Choir recording, made in the Riga Dom cathedral. The immensity of the acoustic does temper the clarity of the texture compared with Trinity's version, but IMV it turns the experience from musical to transcendental. There are various clips on YouTube of an RDBC performance - well worth hearing, but they do not quite match the excitement of the CD ---- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNnHULKkm68

[ardcarp]

On the subject of the Dublin cathedral choirs (Christchurch and St Patrick's) it seems they have small semi-pro chamber choirs as their principal providers of liturgical music. I know Judy Martin was the very capable director of one of them for a time. Are there any choirs with children in, what services do they sing, and are they considered the 2nd team?

[DracoM]

Has there not been a variety of ructions in the Dublin liturgical scene of late? Or am I misremembering?

[Vile Consort]

Belfast yes. Don't know about Dublin.

[mopsus]

There was a serious financial crisis at Christ Church a year or two ago (they spent lots of money on things like more bells, and it ran out), and they were proposing to cut back on the number of choral services. I don't know what the outcome was.

[jean]

I heard boys at St Patrick's a few years ago.

[JL]

The Dublin Cathedral scene

In response to a previous query, although the main choir at Christ Church is mixed voice (adult), there is also a girls' choir. One choral service (Saturday) was lost as a result of the cutbacks some months ago which were referred to. A new DOM, Ian Keatley will be starting there after Christmas.

At St Patrick's, the main choir is of men and boys though there is also a girls' choir these days. There are choral services every day except on Saturday and a particular feature is that this is the only Anglican cathedral, as far as I'm aware, where Choral Matins is sung every day from Monday to Friday. The current DOM is Stuart Nicholson, previously assistant at Birmingham who succeeded Peter Barley of whom many readers will have heard (ex KCC organ scholar, for example) and who left matters at St Patrick's in a very good state about a year ago (as it is also at Christ Church).

There is also St Mary's RC Pro-Cathedral, the home of the very fine Palestrina Choir-also men and boys, directed by Blanaid Murphy and since 2009 there has also been a girls' choir. Titular organist there for many years has been Professor Gerard Gillen-highly regarded international recitalist and an iconic figure in the classical music world in Ireland.

[ardcarp]

Thanks for that, JL. Do you know why Judy Martin left her post? She was IMO a pretty good choir trainer.